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Needham Bank, Wellesley
Write Ahead, Wellesley

Help chart the course for Wellesley Public Schools (no pressure, though)

February 2, 2023 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

We just helped the Wellesley Public Schools chart a course for its future and you can, too, by taking part in the WPS Strategic Planning Survey. Access the survey here.

The  WPS Strategic Planning Survey will be open until Friday, Feb. 10, 5pm.

Wellesley High School
Wellesley High School

The Strategic Planning Survey is open to all those invested in the future of the Wellesley Public Schools including parents and guardians, teachers and staff, current 8-12 grade students, alumni, and Wellesley residents. It is available in five languages.

It takes about 15 minutes to complete multiple choice questions on about a dozen topics such as academics, communication, diversity, equity, school bus use, the MCAS test; extracurriculars, residents’ feelings on exploring the concept of adding universal preK to the Wellesley Public Schools, the importance of school rankings (such as those put forth by national news sources and ranking services), and more.

Most sections include room for respondents to elaborate on their bubble-filling choices with a few sentences.

The survey is part of the WPS Strategic Planning process that has been underway since fall 2022. The results from the survey will help guide the vision and direction for the district for the next five years.


Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Filed Under: Education, Embracing diversity, Kids

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State to Wellesley: Not so fast on mediation over school contract

January 28, 2023 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The Wellesley School Committee issued an update on Saturday regarding its labor negotiations with the Wellesley Educators Association. With negotiations stalled, the School Committee has sought mediation through the state.

“Late Friday afternoon, we received a letter from the Department of Labor Relations (DLR) regarding the petition to enter mediation that was filed with the state more than six weeks ago by the School Committee.

The DLR has informed both the School Committee and the WEA that, while the DLR is retaining the authority to assist our negotiations, they have directed both parties to schedule additional bargaining sessions to further clarify – and hopefully narrow – the scope of outstanding issues prior to a potential start of mediation at the end of February.”

We look forward to resuming bargaining sessions with the WEA as soon as possible and are hopeful that we can make further progress before reporting back to the DLR at the end of next month.”

Following its regularly scheduled Jan. 31 public meeting, the School Committee will go into executive session (behind closed doors) to discuss its collective bargaining strategy with the WEA.

Separately, the WEA on Feb. 2 (7-8pm) is hosting a second webinar for the community during which it will give an update on bargaining with the School Committee and allow for audience questions. We reported earlier on the first webinar in January.


We love it when school parents/guardians/students pass along school memos to us (they are public records). This helps the entire Wellesley community understand school issues better: theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Filed Under: Education

Page Waterman, Wellesley
London Harness, Wellesley
Wellesley Lacrosse

Wellesley Athlete of the Week: Wrestling’s Darren Jimenez

January 24, 2023 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Wellesley Athlete of the Week is made possible with sponsorship support from Deland, Gibson Insurance. The family-owned and operated business has carried on this Wellesley tradition for over 30 years.


Pregame Rituals: Keep to myself and listen to my pump-up playlist

School/Sports Balance: Strict schedule, get everything done ASAP, no wasted time

Fun Fact about Wrestling: Way more conditioning than people think

Goal for the Season: I want to make states


darrenj2 darrenj2

Darren Jimenez is a versatile Wellesley High School athlete. In the fall, he starts as an inside linebacker for the football team, and in the winter, he is one off the wrestling team’s top performers. Coming off of a victory over Milton, where Jimenez remained undefeated (4-0), the Raiders’ wrestling squad (4-7) hopes to continue its winning streak for a chance to compete at states.

Jimenez has worked to become a vital piece to this Raiders team, but he almost chose a different path. 

During his sophomore football season, Jimenez played on the D-Line, where he got to know Chris Sywetz, an assistant coach. As the season closed, Jimenez went to see Coach Sywetz, curious about an off-season workout plan. When Sywetz first recommended wrestling, Jimenez was skeptical, fearing he could hurt himself. After several attempts, Sywetz convinced Jimenez to try wrestling that winter.

Coach Sywetz himself was a highly decorated wrestler. He originally got into wrestling for the same reasons as Jimenez: He wanted to stay in shape for football. Having wrestled in high school, Sywetz saw how much it helped him on the football field. After playing football at Bryant University, Sywetz joined the Framingham High wrestling staff as an assistant in 2016, where he stayed until he landed the head coaching job at Wellesley in 2021.

Given his experience, Sywetz can judge what makes a successful wrestler. Jimenez has impressed Sywetz:  “I selected Darren Jimenez for Athlete of the Week because he has that ‘it’ factor coaches look for in athletes.” 

The “it” factor refers to intangible qualities that include work ethic, commitment, focus, and leadership. It is essential for an athlete to be internally motivated to possess the “it” factor. They must be able to do extra workouts on their own and not care if anyone finds out how much time they are devoting to getting better. They must be able to play harder than everyone when things get tough. Jimenez’s natural instincts, innate abilities, and constant desire for success have helped him excel in a sport that he hasn’t participated in for very long.  

Jimenez has already seen progress, according to Sywetz, “After coming out last year in hopes of becoming a better football player, he’s transformed his body while shaving off the baby fat and packing on the muscle.”

Sywetz further expounded on Jimenez’s commitment: “He is also a fierce competitor.” 

He has the unique ability to flip a switch, going from calm to locked in. Jimenez’s acute focus allows him to elevate his performance on the mat while also inspiring his teammates to work harder. 

Praising Jimenez’s leadership, Sywetz said, “He’s the glue to the team.” Although only a junior, so many look up to him on the mat and also in how he interacts with others. “As a kind kid, he always tries to bring people together; he never wants a rub between teammates.” 

Sywetz also lauded how Jimenez has helped to rebuild the Wellesley wrestling team. “Darren has had numerous moments of being a great leader at the high school, but none more special than what he’s doing with the wrestling program. As he helps Wellesley build back their struggling wrestling program, he’s creating a team where hard work, focus, and respect are the core values.”

Finally, Sywetz noted how Jimenez’s grit has helped him dominate this year. He mentioned how countless times Jimenez rallied during tough matches to help seal the victory for Wellesley. Although Jimenez had many memorable moments, Sywetz’s favorite came during Jimenez’s match against Milton. “He was going back and forth until Darren went into beast mode and dominated his opponent. Pinning the other athlete and following it with a grand gesture of emotion, flexing his muscles and letting out a big scream. That was when I knew Darren would be a great wrestler.”

Proud of his rise to become one of the best wrestlers in the MIAA Bay State Conference, Jimeniz said:, “I hope that I can continue to win my matches, not only for my record but most importantly, so that our team can continue to emerge victorious.” 

Jimenez expressed gratitude for his peers. He said he would not have achieved his success to date if it weren’t for his “teammates and coaches who push me to get better every day. Even when I feel like I can’t give it anymore, they instill belief in me that I can conquer anything in my way.”

Article written by John Battaglino, Bradford ‘24


Deland, Gibson, Wellesley

Filed Under: Athlete of the Week, Sports, Wellesley High School

Sara Campbell, Wellesley

Wellesley School Committee reviews $100k Diversity Audit; anti-bullying policy; and more

January 23, 2023 by admin Leave a Comment

By contributing reporter Jennifer Bonniwell

The Wellesley School Committee discussed supporting a $100,000 diversity and equity audit sought by the town’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force, and reviewed changes to the district’s anti-bullying policy during its Tuesday, Jan. 17 meeting.

The School Committee also considered removing the district’s pre-employment requirement that all school employees submit proof of a physical examination. All three initiatives will be voted on during the Committee’s next meeting on Jan. 24.

$100k Diversity and Equity Audit

In the fully online meeting held on Zoom, DEI Task Force representatives presented an Anti-Bias and Anti-Racism Resolution to be presented to Town Meeting in April. The resolution includes a request for $100,000 for an equity audit to “help us undertake this work,” said Meghan Jop, executive director of the DEI task force. (See beginning at 20:00 of meeting video.)

The DEI Task Force has asked the Wellesley Select Board and School Committee to co-sponsor the Anti-Racism Resolution. (The Select Board already voted to support the Equity Audit during its Dec. 20,2022 meeting.)

The task force seeks to hire a third-party consultant to perform the audit. The audit is expected to include a review of town policies and procedures; an evaluation of services; identification of barriers to access; and an assessment of the community climate, said Amy Frigulietti, assistant executive director of the DEI Task Force. She expects the audit also will call for the use of focus groups and a community survey.

“The first stage will be to see where we are today and then see what actions we want to make to hopefully make Wellesley a more equitable community,” said Donna Stoddard, a member of the DEI task force audit subcommittee.

The task force struggled with whether to seek a targeted audit of racial equity only, or to expand the scope to “look at DEI from a broader perspective” that includes religion, sexual orientation and people who are differently abled. The task force ultimately opted for the broader scope to appeal to more town residents, Stoddard said.

School Committee member Melissa Martin said she agreed that the town’s diversity mission and focus of the audit should include “equity and inclusion in the broad sense of the word; making sure each person is able to be accepted and participate to the absolute best of their ability and desire.” 

School Committee student representative Armita Hamrah asked if students and teachers would be interviewed as part of the audit—something that was done in a recent diversity survey by the school district. 

Frigulietti emphasized that the audit was intended to build on the diversity work that has already been done. 

“Because Wellesley is so decentralized, there has been a lot of [diversity] work that has been done, we’ve just never pulled it together in one document,” Frigulietti said. 

The task force did not explain how the $100,000 price tag was determined. However, during its presentation, Stoddard said that Brookline’s Racial Equity Audit took eight to 10 months and cost $100,000; and Newton’s Equity Audit took six to seven months and cost $135,000. 

School Committee members seemed supportive of the audit. A later vote will reflect whether they will co-sponsor the Town Meeting article. 

Superintendent David Lussier voiced his support for the equity audit and said he hopes it will lead Town Meeting to adopt a broader mission statement relating to diversity. (See at about 48:00)

“It’s no secret that not everyone agrees with our focus on equity in Wellesley Public Schools. We have been in the trenches here for a number of years on this,” Lussier said. “My hope would be that the town could emerge from all of this with a clear sense of core values that could help guide this work going forward.”

Revisions to the anti-bullying policy

The School Committee continues to revise the district’s anti-bullying policy to match not only procedures implemented in Wellesley at the end of last academic year, but to match new state requirements. (See at about 55:00 in the meeting video.) 

The School Committee’s updated policy includes edits to the definitions of bullying and cyber-bullying and additional explanation as to when principals are required to alert parents about bullying. You can see the most recent changes to the policy online here.

Although no schedule was set for the next review, School Committee member Craig Mack reiterated that the committee remained committed to finishing the policy and voting to approve it. “We’re not trying to push it down the road. We want to make sure it will serve our students and our community well,” Mack said.

Pre-employment physicals for school staff

Continuing its review of district policies, the School Committee’s Policy Subcommittee recommended removing the requirement of pre-employment health examinations. Pre-employment health examinations are no longer common practice across school districts for school staff who do not have a high level of physical activity requirements, said committee member Monica Visco. The town still requires pre-employment physicals, however Visco said that wouldn’t conflict with district policy. And the school district could still require physicals for specific positions that require more activity, she said. (See discussion at about 52:01) 

The School Committee will vote on these issues at the Jan. 24 regularly scheduled meeting. 

Adding Westborough to ACCEPT Collaborative

The School Committee also voted to approve the application of the Westborough School District to join the state-wide ACCEPT Education Collaborative of which Wellesley is a member. The Collaborative allows member districts to combine resources ranging from special education placements to professional development, Lussier said. The state requires school committees of all member districts to approve adding a new district as a member. About a dozen other districts are part of ACCEPT including Dover-Sherborn, Natick, Medfield, and Sudbury.

“We don’t see a downside,” Lussier said. “Another member district only strengthens the collaborative with more districts and more colleagues.”

The School Committee usually waits at least a week before voting on requests for action to allow for public comment. The committee, however, decided to vote during the same meeting because this action was determined to be procedural. The School Committee vote was unanimous in favor of Westborough’s application to join ACCEPT. 

How to be heard during School Committee meetings

Residents who want to submit comments during the Jan. 24 School Committee meeting must email school_committee@wellesleyps.org prior to the meeting to obtain the Zoom link and instructions for participating.

Filed Under: Education, Embracing diversity

Coming snow will end Wellesley Public Schools day at 6pm on Monday

January 23, 2023 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

From Wellesley Public Schools on Monday, Jan. 23: Due to the expected deterioration of weather conditions later today, all WPS and after-school/evening programming will be ending at 6pm, when all buildings will be closed.

Filed Under: Education

Deland, Gibson, Wellesley
Rick Cram, leader

Letters-to-the-editor day in Wellesley—important election-time updates

January 21, 2023 by admin Leave a Comment

The Swellesley Report accepts letters to the editor. Letters must be of general local community interest and must be signed. Community shout-outs are also accepted and encouraged. For example, a non-profit may thank an organization for a donation received.

How to submit your letter to the editor

The deadline is Wednesday at noon for letters to appear on Friday EXCEPT the week before the Tuesday, March 7, 2023 Town election.

The week before the Town election, the deadline for letters to the editor is Friday, Feb. 24. Those letters will run  Tuesday, Feb. 28.

No letters to the editor will run on Friday, Feb. 24 OR Friday, March 3.

Submitting a letter to the editor does not guarantee that your letter will be posted on The Swellesley Report.

Review of dates for letters to the editor during election season

  • Wednesday, Jan. 25, noon—deadline to submit a letter to the editor
    Friday, Jan. 27—letters to the editor run
  • Wednesday, Feb. 1, noon—deadline to submit a letter to the editor
    Friday, Feb. 3—letters to editor run
  • Wednesday, Feb. 8, noon—deadline to submit a letter to the editor
    Friday, Feb. 10—letters to editor run
  • Wednesday, Feb. 15, noon—deadline to submit a letter to the editor
    Friday, Feb. 17—letters to editor run
  • Friday, Feb. 24—no letters to the editor will run
  • Friday, Feb. 24, noon—deadline to submit a letter to the editor
    Tuesday, Feb 28—letters to editor run
  • Friday, March 3, no letters to the editor will run

Letters must be written for The Swellesley Report only—we do not accept form-type letters sent to multiple news agencies.

Please review detailed guidelines for letters to the editor here.

Send letters to the editor to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Election letter guidelines

Letters endorsing candidates; pro/con on ballot initiatives; “get out the vote” type letters; etc. are accepted.

As a general policy, if a sampling of letters on a particular issue has already been published, subsequent letters on that same issue may not be published.

Generally speaking, we are willing to run a few letters of endorsement per candidate as well as a few letters about any one issue over the course of the campaign. We would not run letters that are virtual carbon copies of each other.

What Swellesley wants to avoid is serving as a platform for a concerted campaign that is trying to shut out other voices by trying to flood our letters to the editor page with their own agenda.

Please limit the number of signers…we contact letter writers to confirm authenticity and don’t have time to reach out to multiple signers.

No election-related letters will be published the week before the election.

Please review detailed guidelines for letters to the editor here.

Filed Under: Education, Embracing diversity, Health

School news: Wellesley High Class of 1982 reunion set for Jan. 21; WMS Winter Choral Concert; Lots of scholarship deadlines

January 18, 2023 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The latest Wellesley, Mass., school news:

Wellesley High Class of 1982 reunion set for Jan. 21

There’s still time to sign up connect with old friends at the WHS Class of 1982 reunion, happening Saturday, Jan. 21 from 7-11pm at the Italo American Educational Club at 75 Pleasant St., in Wellesley. Registration is open for the 40th reunion event.


WMS Winter Choral Concert & WHS One Acts

The Wellesley Middle School grade 6 & 7 Winter Choral Concert will take place at the middle school auditorium on Thursday, Jan. 19 at 7-8pm.

At Wellesley High School, One Acts performances will take place on Thursday and Friday from 3:30-5:30pm in the WHS Little Theatre.


TBB Scholarships deadline: Feb. 28, 2023

Reminder: TBB Scholarships, Inc., is accepting applications for scholarships from young women who will be graduating from high school in the spring of 2023. Candidates must reside in or go to school in Wellesley, Newton, or Brookline. They must have sound academic standing and be in need of financial aid.

The TBB website provides an application form and additional information. Applications will be accepted through February 28, 2023. Interviews for candidates will be held during the week of April 17 to 21.


WHJWC scholarships deadline: March 1, 2023

The Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club (WHJWC) annually awards college scholarships to both graduating high school seniors and college undergraduates. The charitable organization typically give between $60,000 and $70,000 each year, with each scholarship ranging between $1000-4,000.

Learn more about how to apply for a WHJWC scholarship.


Wellesley Scholarship Foundation deadline: March 1, 2023

The deadline to submit an application for a Wellesley Scholarship Foundation award is March 1, 2023. There are two different types of scholarship funding each year:

  • Need-Based Scholarships: Any Wellesley High School graduate (regardless of residence) and any Wellesley resident (regardless of school) are eligible to apply for our need-based scholarships. If demonstrated financial need exists, students are eligible to receive award funding for four years of college but MUST reapply annually and maintain a cumulative 2.0 grade point average.
  • Merit-Based Scholarships: Applicants must be high school seniors that are Wellesley residents (one male/one female) that have demonstrated a superior level of distinction in scholarship, citizenship and character, as well as strong extracurricular interests and activities. These two merit awards are renewable annually for four years provided the recipient maintains acceptable academic performance (certified with yearly college transcript) and maintains their Wellesley residency.

Last year WSF awards ranged anywhere from $500 to $15,000, with a median award of $4,000. These awards were funded by WSF dollars as well as contributions from several community partners such as Wellesley Kiwanis, Wellesley Historical Society, Wellesley Patrolmen’s Organization and Wellesley Turkey Trot Foundation.

Learn more about how to apply for a Wellesley Scholarship Foundation award.


Wellesley Educators Association Scholarships deadline: April 1, 2023

The WEA offers four scholarships:

The Future Educators Scholarship, which each year benefits one Wellesley High School senior who plans to pursue a career in education.

The Samuel M. Graves Scholarship, which benefits Wellesley High School students who have shown academic excellence and demonstrate financial need.

The Peebles Scholarship, established to honor the memory of Principal James M. Peebles who served at Wellesley Junior High School for 25 years. The scholarship benefits WEA members’ children who are graduating from any high school and pursuing further educational opportunities.

The Jennifer Rainey Memorial Scholarship, which benefits one Wellesley High School student who has demonstrated resilience, tenacity, and zest in their educational experience as an English language learner.

More information here.

Filed Under: Education, Wellesley High School

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